11 Steele Beyond Magic
by SteeleHere44
Summary: Story 11. Trouble in Paradise? Just add some pressure from the family and a new case...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:

Remington Steele and its characters are owned by MTM. No copyright infringement intended. For entertainment purposes only.

Set after Season 4. Bonds of Steele and Season 5 are not in my universe.

Chapter 1

Left, right… left, right…, breathe; left, right…left, right…, breathe; left, right…left, right, breathe.

The sun was rising up. The morning had begun earlier than usual for Laura, and a run looked like the perfect way to cool off some of the heat she had stored inside her last night. The evening had started as usual; they'd arrived home from the office, he'd delivered a mouthful dinner, and they'd enjoyed the evening as always until… She couldn't detect how turned out like that. Some detective she was…

Some words had been said. Unexpected words carrying deep insecurity, a feeling they supposed gone, but that remained hidden somewhere in both of their minds.

" _Don't you think it's time to call your family to let them know we got married?" He had asked her._

 _"I'm not ready yet," had been her short answer. They were finishing doing the dishes after dinner._

 _Her response had triggered an unexpected reaction from him. "Take your time darling. Do you think somewhere in your adjusted schedule, let's say… sometime near Christmas or… maybe we can wait until next year… or the maybe until another one…" he asked her with a noticeable hint of sarcasm._

 _"What do you mean?" she'd shot him daggers with her look._

 _"I don't mean anything. I'm just stating the fact that we've been married for almost a month, and you are always finding a silly excuse to avoid making that call. I'm just wondering if you're ever going to find a moment in your life to tell your family that you have a husband. But thinking again, maybe that's not part of your priorities. Maybe we are not one of your priorities to share with them. I'm beginning to think about the possibility that you are ashamed to share the news with them. That would put the brave and rebel Laura in a conventional position, dangerously similar to her sister's. Right beside a man." He neatly put the dishtowel back in its place and left the kitchen without giving her a chance to respond._

The night had been awkward. It reminded Laura the cold one they'd spent at the Friedlich's Spa. They'd slip into bed, and he'd immediately turned his back to her, his face to his nightstand's side. She'd rested her hand on his arm looking for a truce, but he hadn't made a move. It had been a frigid night, feeling him beside her but at the same time aware that he denied her any physical contact. It was frightening. After sleep spent hours avoiding her, once she'd noticed the first lights of the day filtering through the drapes she decided to go for a run hoping to chill the feeling about what was going to be like a long and rough day. Some exercising time alone could be useful to find some answers too.

Laura arrived back to Rossmore after her regular running schedule was over, with no more answers than the ones she had when she'd left the apartment. She had pictured the running as a right moment to think about what had happened the previous night, but she'd returned home as empty as she was at the beginning. She opened the door and walked in silence to their room, hoping to find him still sleeping, able to run into the shower first without having to say a word to him. They would be able to share a more civil conversation while having breakfast. But when she came into their bedroom, the bed was empty, and so was the bathroom. His aftershave was still in the air mixed with the remaining steam, so she walked to the kitchen. He was standing there, by the counter, no good morning to cheer her up, no breakfast ready waiting for her; just a cup of coffee in his hand. Coffee… The whole image looked wrong. His usual choice first in the morning was tea.

"I thought we were going to have breakfast together after my running," she told him, sudden disappointment hiding behind her words.

"Did you?" he sharply answered.

She lowered her gaze to her feet. "Well, that's what we usually do."

"I can't hardly picture this morning as a usual one." He looked briefly at his watch, "Fred must be already downstairs."

And with no more words he rinsed the cup, dropped it in the sink and left, leaving her all alone, her mind assaulting her again with the words that had been said in their last night's exchange. Words that she knew will remain in her thoughts through the entire day. A whole journey that had initially looked like an opportunity to fix things had turned in the most absolutely wrong way.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Good morning, Mildred," Laura told the secretary without decreasing her pace until arriving at her office.

"Good morning Mrs. Steele." answered the secretary, knowing that the mere fact that Mr. Steele had arrived at the agency earlier than usual and alone could only mean dark clouds in the horizon. Mildred knew, because of her own experience, that the best way to survive those kinds of days was opening her mouth as less as possible. She would be the intermediary between the detectives the whole day, and with some luck, they will leave the office at the end of it without significant damages. Then, they could start working in whatever solution they wanted, but far from the office, and most important, far from her.

Once both detectives were at their respective office with some coffee on the desk and every door already shut, the day started. Mildred sat on her chair waiting for the first buzz. Tons of buzzes would follow that first one, and she will be running between the two offices until the end of the day. Luckily, no client will appear to make the situation more complicated. It was going to be exhausting…

After a boring half an hour without even a first buzz, she took the book she always carried in her purse as an eventual backup to boring times. Although she didn't have anything else to do since the last case was already closed, and Laura and Mr. Steele were supposed to be dealing with the respective paperwork, she wasn't comfortable about how things between her bosses were developing along the day. The silence in the office was stunning. And that was never a good sign.

Once she turned the last page and closed the book, romance time was apparently over, and the novel was back in its original place. The office was still in silence, and, since it was almost lunchtime, she decided to take advantage of the quiet and leave for lunch. Maybe after eating something tasty the day would start to feel shorter.

Opening Laura's door she asked her, "I'm going out for lunch Mrs. Steele. Do you want something from the cafeteria?"

"A salad would be nice, Mildred. Thank you," answered Laura without taking her eyes off the paper in her hands.

"Do you think Mr. Steele would be interested too?"

Raising her eyes from the file, she answered her, "In a salad? God forbid that."

"I'll ask him, just in case." Mildred closed Laura's door and walked to Mr. Steele's one. "I'm going to have lunch, chief. Do you want something from the cafeteria?"

"No thanks, Mildred. I think I'm going to the bistro. I need something substantial to go ahead through the rest of this torturing afternoon."

And you need to be out from the office for a while to cold off, thought Mildred. He had never been able to stand a whole day at the office without Laura wandering around him. She suspected part of his faked inability at office tasks was neatly rehearsed to steal some special moments from his wife, even if that would mean to suffer her usual complaining about his useless paperwork ability in the meantime. But since neither of them was being eager to see each other at the moment, lunch out of the office sounded as the reasonable escape for him, thought the secretary.

The afternoon followed as dull as the morning had been, and once the time to leave arrived, Mildred said her goodbyes. "I think my day is over here. See you tomorrow." She approached Laura's desk and left an envelope. "These are the tickets to the show, Mrs. Steele."

She raised his eyes and asked "Tickets? To what show?"

"Oh, didn't Mr. Steele tell you? He received a phone call from an old friend yesterday. He asked him to meet you two at the theatre tonight. Those are the tickets."

"I guess our communication didn't work well through the last 24 hours, Mildred. I'll check it later with him. See you tomorrow," answered Laura, not wanting Mildred for even one moment in the middle of their marriage disagreement.

Laura was aware that they weren't sharing the most communicative day. But as far as they would go, that shouldn't interfere with their work. It was one of her worst nightmares. Grabbing the envelope, she inhaled some encouraging air, stood up and walked towards his office through the connecting door.

"I didn't know we were meeting an old friend of yours tonight. Mildred gave me the tickets. Is it related to business?" she asked him, her eyes on the envelope not looking at his eyes.

"In fact, it is. He wants to talk to us. We are supposed to meet him backstage after his first show tonight. I didn't have the chance to tell you. Your office's door had been closed the whole day and I didn't want to interrupt your concentration. Experience tells me you usually don't like my doing that," he answered her with a hint of sarcasm.

Laura inhaled deep, and without turning her eyes back to him on her way to her office, she told him, "We should be going then. Fred can pick up us later at Rossmore."

He decided not to say a word to continue the exchange. There was an awkward drive to Rossmore, with Laura behind the steering wheel, followed by an awkward evening at the theatre. There was no need for extra suffering. They were in front of a whole uncomfortable silent night.

The ride home was made in complete silence as expected. Once at Rossmore, Laura decided it was the moment to break the ice. She had been thinking a lot along the day, and even if it wasn't her intention, she was aware that she was making him feel miserable because of her negative to share with her family the news about their marriage. She wasn't sure why she wasn't comfortable sharing the news with Frances and her mother, but at the same time, Laura was entirely sure she didn't want that as an escalating issue between the two of them. It wasn't worth to waste the chance to enjoy time with each other because of one of her non-sense insecurities.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night. Please don't ask me where that came from, because I don't know. The only thing I know is that I don't want to let it stand between us anymore. I'm going to call Frances."

He looked at her, aware of the considerable effort she had made, fighting against herself to find the courage to make the first step. He decided to do the same, just accepting her words and not asking for more. "I'm glad."

"Time to make a call, I guess," she said.

He pulled her into his embrace, and after kissing her brow, put his arm on her shoulder. Once they were ready on the couch and after exhaling a reassuring sigh, she dialed her sister's phone number.

"Hello, Frances! …Yes, it had been a long time…I know…"

Frances started then, her usual monologue with Laura hanging the phone at a convenient distance from her ears, remaining in silence from the other side of the line. Mr. Steele was beside her, ready to jump into action in the case Laura was in the minimum need of help. At one point after several minutes in the same scheme, Laura finally decided to make an intervention at one of Frances' breathing moments.

"You know Frances; it has been a long time without seeing each other, why don't you and Donald come over here for dinner one night this week?"

Frances explained then that their babysitter was on vacation with her family, and because of that inconvenient, they didn't have anybody to leave the children with. "Why don't you come over here? I know I'm not a good chef as Mr. Steele, but I'll make my best effort…"

"I guess it will not be a problem. Say when and we'll be there," answered Laura, hoping the dinner location was the only thing to give up along the phone call.

"What do you think about Wednesday? Mother will arrive on Thursday to visit us for Laurie Beth's birthday party next week, and then and she will be able to join us. A real family dinner! Isn't that thrilling Laura?" asked her Frances not able to hide her enthusiasm.

"Sure it is Frances, I'm absolutely thrilled!" answered Laura, adding some fake enthusiasm for her sister on the other side of the line, and begging for patience for herself while rolling her eyes asking for mercy. "We'll be there at seven, and we'll bring the wine. See you on Wednesday Frances." She put down the phone and looked at Mr. Steele, "The first step done Mr. Steele. Now we have to figure out how to spend a whole dinner with my sister and my mother, without developing a major crisis. Perhaps if we could drop the bomb when we are leaving… Or would it be better if we are already out of the house…"

"Calm down and let the time run, Laura. We'll figure out the way. And if not, we sure can improvise along dinner. It wouldn't turn out worst than them knowing the news from the paper or another different source. And as I use to say, the Holt women are known for being reasonable." Just at the moment the words were leaving his mouth he knew it hadn't been a wise move.

Laura stared into space for a second, trying to figure out the meaning of his words. When she didn't find a reasonable explanation by herself, she turned towards Mr. Steele giving him a doubtful glare. "I don't remember you saying that to me very often."

It was going to be hard to get out of this one, he thought. "That's because you have never been the usual Holt woman. You are a special one. That's why I chose you over them every day."

She turned her face towards him and asked with a sort of disillusion in her face, "Because I'm unreasonable?"

"Of course not Laura, "he stopped, "…Just because you are you. I love your stubbornness between some other of your qualities. I love the entire package. I love the whole Laura. I love all and every part of you."

"I'm not sure if I might follow arguing against any of your statements or just go for the deserved prize I should get from you after your slip." She faked a thoughtful gesture for a second and not able to hide her smile anymore told him; "I'll go for the second… Just shut up and kiss me."

"That's another thing I love about you Laura, practical even when we are in the middle of a disagreement," he told her.

"Really…Do you need to go on speaking, Mr. Steele?"

"You are right, in fact. I'll turn into practical."

"Good," she told him closing the space between them and drawing her smiling lips towards his until they melt into her prize.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Once the first show was over, Mr. And Mrs. Steele left their seats in the audience and went to The Great Oz-Dini dressing room. They knocked on the door, and the magician opened it immediately.

"Harry! Nice to meet you again my boy!" said the man.

"Nice to meet you too, John. Let me introduce you to Laura, my wife. This is John Kirkland, The Great Oz-Dini."

"You were always the one surrounded with beautiful ladies, Harry. I see your charm is still intact. The rest of us had to learn to do magic tricks to have half of your good luck."

"Perhaps I did use some magic from time to time… I learned from the best teacher, after all. But magic tricks aside, my luckiest moment arrived the day I met Laura. I'm not saying I haven't tried a couple of tricks through the years to keep her close…"

"I can't remember any of your tricks as a magic one," said Laura with sarcasm.

"The best magician is the one doing tricks making his audience assume them as realities. Five years of tricks running close to perfection…God, I'm good!" said Mr. Steele, winking an eye to his friend.

Laura rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut. Those two knew each other since a long time ago. Maybe some mysterious details about Mr. Steele's past were closer to see the light of the day. She would have to behave. The night had just begun and, it was turning more interesting by the minute.

They got into John's dressing room to pursue the conversation. The old friends seemed to have a lot to catch up.

"How did you end up here in Los Angeles, John?" asked Laura.

"Well, I've been doing a show in Vegas for a long time, but I needed a change. It was getting boring. Have you been to Vegas?" asked John.

"Well, we've been there once or twice. The last time just above a month ago, but we were swamped. No time for attending shows I'm afraid…" answered Laura.

"I think you are the first ones I heard about that had been there but didn't go to see any show… Gambling perhaps? That's the first usual reason, but I don't see you as a regular gambler, Laura. Am I wrong?"

"You've touched a delicate topic, my friend," answered Mr. Steele. "Laura doesn't have any problem with gambling. She is a terrific winner, indeed. In fact, the only dangerous moment is when you have to tell her to retire once she's on a roll. She is definitely a hard worker. Even when she is in front of a game table…"

"So, no shows, no gambling. What had you two been doing in Vegas then?"

"We got married there, but we had to return here faster than we'd wished. We were in the middle of a case… You know…" answered Laura.

"I see. Excuse my odd question, but you have me truly intrigued. Knowing Harry's low labor tendency nature, how did you manage to drag him far from amusement and directly to work with such urgency? For what you're telling me you even didn't have time to enjoy a honeymoon…"

"Believe me, John. Although I would like to twist the balance a little to be less close to work, we really enjoy what we do. Work is usually executed with an amusing dose of fun added in the process. That's our motto," answered Mr. Steele.

"I totally agree with that, Harry. Entertainment… Don't forget that's what I do for a living… Which reminds me it's time to tell you the motive about my call. I suspect someone is trying to steal some of the new projects I'm working on."

"Why do you think that?" asked Laura.

"Magicians are always working to find new tricks to add to their new shows. The process to develop a new number is usually long, and it takes a lot of practice. Sometimes there are some devices included that have to be improved through that period. Usually, specific artisans work in sync with the magicians along the whole way. I developed a new disappearance number including a particular device that I have ready after a couple of years of work, finally. Magicians' world is small, you know… There is a rumor that another famous magician is going to be performing this same number in Vegas next month. Even the advertisement posters almost the same device I developed in them. I suspect there is a traitor in my crew, but I can't figure out whom. That's why I am asking for your help."

"Are we supposed to work in Las Vegas?" asked Laura.

"No. I'm here with my full crew. Also, I have carried the new device with me. It wasn't safe to leave it alone in Vegas."

"If you suspect there's a traitor in your team, we will need to work undercover. Do you have any suggestion?" asked Mr. Steele.

"How about being introduced as my back up plan for a planned absence. I'm kind of tired, and I would appreciate some days off. You can be the magician, Harry; and Laura could be your assistant…"

Just at the sound of John's last word, Mr. Steele knew the dark thoughts running through Laura's mind; so he decided to take reins in the matter and correct his friend suggestion, as fast as possible. "I'm not comfortable introducing Laura as an assistant. It sounds too much like a secretary. I'd prefer if she performs as my co-star, more like a partner. That's what we really are after all."

"You are the detective, Harry. Follow your instincts. I'm sure you know what to do." John gave a brief look at his watch, "I'm sorry, but I should be leaving. My second show is in about twenty minutes, and I have to check on everything before the performance. See you tomorrow here, say about lunch time?" After agreeing to meet at John's dress room the following day, they shook hands, and the meeting was over.

A few moments after Mr. and Mrs. Steele walked away from John's dress room; the old man grabbed the phone and dialed. A male voice answered on the other side of the line, "Hello…"

"Hello, my friend. They've just left. Everything ran as expected. Let`s start with the plan…".

"How are you going to play your part as a magician?"

"I met John when I was young. He was always playing with cards and rehearsing tricks. He taught me a couple of tricks from time to time. It's like riding a bike again, Laura. After some little practice, it comes back again."

"Perhaps you have the knowledge and the abilities to perform a magician, but what about me? I don't have a clue about that… I don't know anything about magic tricks." She sighed. "Maybe I should have been more supportive about your friend's assistant idea…" answered Laura suddenly regretful.

"Come on Laura! You learned to play cards from a book in just five minutes in our last case in Vegas, and I don't need to remind you of the result. You are a math major, and your gaming attempts were splendid. Let's play with cards! We can use your trained mind plus your ability with numbers, we'll figure something."

"If you say so…"

"Besides, decidedly, I will not enjoy being on stage with you dressed like an assistant, every eye in the audience focused on one of these scarce brilliant attires. You'll be absolutely stunning wearing a sexy tuxedo and a top hat."

"What about that old saying about having the audience attention focused at a different place than the one where the real action is happening…"

"Are you suggesting I should be the one wearing the brilliant attire?" he asked her totally amused.

"Hmm, I don't think I would like you dressed like Liberace... Let's keep your wardrobe running between classic lines…"

He sighed in relief. What an unfortunate moment this would be…

"But in fact, who knows, maybe just a little touch…"

"Laura…"

"Just kidding…"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They made a detour by the bookstore before going to the office. Any magic tricks' book available at the store would be convenient to refresh some of Mr. Steele's old abilities and would be useful as well to help Laura to catch up on basic magic knowledge. A few hours later they were inside his office, the new acquired magical paraphernalia sprawled all over the place. Mr. Steele was going to work with handkerchiefs, coins, and other typical elements, and Laura will work with cards. The final tricks selection would be made at the end of the day, after some of John's offered advice.

Mildred was dearly amused by the subject of the case. As it was well known, she was an avid follower of every kind of seers and wizards. She was secretly begging for the chance to be needed close to her bosses, near the stage, just to be in contact with some of this exciting magic world.

"Are you going to need the limo to go to the theatre, chief?" asked the secretary.

"I think we will drive the Rabbit, Mildred. We don't need to raise suspicions before starting to play our characters. A small white car will suit us better as a couple of unknown magicians," quickly answered Laura.

"Maybe I can help you to carry your stuff to your dress room later…" added Mildred, almost begging for a chance to be there with them.

Laura raised her eyes from her activity, "You are right, Mildred. There is not enough space in the Rabbit to carry all the stuff. You can join us at the theatre later," she said guessing Mildred's intentions.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Steele. I'll take care of everything."

"I have no doubt about that, Mildred," she returned her gaze to her previous activity hiding a smile.

They arrived at the theatre and followed John to their respective dressing rooms. Mr. Steele got the one besides John's, and Laura the one in front of Mr. Steele's one. Both rooms were small, there was a considerable mirror surrounded by light bulbs preceding a small dresser and a sofa in each one of them. But Mr. Steele's had an exciting addition, a connecting door to John's room. Those two were going to be able to remind old times without her interfering. It could be useful to the case, Laura thought. John seemed slightly old-fashioned so he would be more comfortable working with just his friend. Her collaboration should focus to be as less personal but more tactical. It would feel good to do some fieldwork alone, especially working freely between the male crew. Like old times…

Once they were settled, they met in a brief reunion with John to decide the tricks they will be using on stage. They were developing the schedule when Mildred arrived with their stage stuff and wardrobe. John's eyes seemed captivated by the secretary, who was well aware of the captivating effect she was having on him.

"Do I know you?" asked Mildred, "Your face looks familiar; maybe we've met…"

"I don't think so, Miss Krebs. A beautiful face like yours is hard to forget," told her John, "But… perhaps we could try working over that familiarity… Would you like to take a walk along the place? Theatres have enchanting magic when empty…"

"I'd love to," answered Mildred, turning back to wink an eye to Laura, who smiled her back. This mysterious case was getting interesting by the minute. And the secretary was ready to enjoy the ride with the Master of Ceremony by her side. Not bad…

The detectives decided to make a tour as well, but starting the opposite way. They walked through backstage, paying particular attention to the faces working there. Several men were arranging all kinds of paraphernalia everywhere, and a few ladies were immersed in conversation while making a sort of dress rehearsal. Everything looked trivial, so they decided to call it a day. Laura glanced at her watch and sighed. Dinner at Frances was the last scheduled task for the day. They would need a lot of magic to go through the evening without making an early disappearance.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They had been standing in front of the door for a brief moment when Mr. Steele raised his hand to knock on the door. Laura was hiding her nerves behind a forced smile, staring anxiously at his hand. Right at the moment he finished knocking, the door suddenly opened, but nobody was waiting for them inside. They glanced at each other, and just when Laura was going to step inside, Laurie Beth came from behind the door.

"Auntie Laura!" said the girl, and jumped into Laura's arms.

"Sweetie… How nice to see you! I wasn't sure if your mother was allowing you to be still up. What a lovely surprise!" She was definitely surprised by the little girl's display of affection. And a little uncomfortable perhaps…

"Mummy said that as it was a family reunion, we could stay up for a little more time." The girl looked at Mr. Steele. "Are you going to stay too?"

"Well, it depends. Are you going to welcome me as good as you did with your aunt?" He was aware of Laura's hesitating hands holding her niece. It would be a good move to get his wife free of this sudden discomfort and win some points with Frances family at the same time.

"If I give you a hug, will you stay?"

"I will not be able to resist."

The girl left Laura's arms and hugged him in the same fierce way. Then Frances showed up, coming almost running from the living room.

"Laura, Mr. Steele welcome home…You arrived just in time. We are in the middle of a discussion about dinner," she told them but just staring at him, "Would you like to help me to put the last details together in the kitchen?"

Laura couldn't help but feel sensitive aware of her sister's behavior. Frances had put her hand on Mr. Steele's back, and with a slight push, she'd kidnapped him inside, straight to the kitchen. Laura rolled her eyes, and followed them whispering, "…Good evening to you too, Frances…"

The big discussion waiting for them in the kitchen was one Laura wasn't eager to participate for sure. She politely greeted her mother, and noticing the edible topic resting on the counter, she excused herself and went into the living room, where Donald was fixing some drinks to get the evening started.

"Hello, Donald," said Laura greeting him. "Good to see you're busy at the Bar. I need a drink already."

Donald gave her a glass, and she had a sip. "Bad day at work?" he asked.

"Mmm? No, it was…sort of usual. I'm just tired."

"Your usual days can't be compared to anyone's usual day, Laura. Were you chasing the bad guys? Or maybe you are in a mission, undercover…"

Laura chuckled. "We are starting a new case, but I think we overdid it in the last one. We didn't have a chance to recover, so I'm still tired." She wasn't going to confess her real motives to feel drained to Donald. They were in for the evening, and everything was still about to happen. Just when Donald was going to ask her the next question, Frances called everybody to the dining room. Dinner was ready. They approached the table, and Laura walked to sit beside Mr. Steele. He pulled the chair for her. "Don't you dare to get away an inch from me," she begged him in a whisper, a smile plastered in her face.

He sat down beside her and grabbed her hand under the table, "Promise me I'm going to hear that words from your mouth more frequently in the future. Calm down, Laura. Even if it's the worst dinner ever, I promise I will stay beside you," he whispered back.

"Thank you. I love you."

"Laura, at this point I can say I have no doubt about it," he winked at her raising his glass in an implicit toast.

Dinner ran in a smoothly. The food was exquisite, and instead of her anxiety, Laura found herself enjoying the event. Mr. Steele was entangled in a conversation with Donald, wondering about their next vacation location, when Laurie Beth came to the table almost crying, and instead of going to her father's lap, as usual, she climbed Mr. Steele's one. He helped her up, hiding a momentary hesitation. The little girl was suddenly attached to him, and he didn't have a clue about the motive. But he would do anything to help Laura through this evening.

"Danny is saying that nobody is going to come to my birthday because it will be boring…" she said, sobs coming out from her mouth now.

Laura tried to comfort her with no result. Was then when Mr. Steele put his hand behind her ear, in an attempt to steal the child's focus from her tragedy…"What do you have here?" he asked pulling a chocolate coin from there.

Laura's surprise was all over her face. Why was he carrying chocolate coins in his pocket? They had been rehearsing magic tricks, but a chocolate coin? She would have to check up that later. Maybe a tasting to check the material would sound acceptable.

Tears were suddenly forgotten and a broad smile appeared the plastered on girl's face, "You made magic! Are you a magician? You have to come to my birthday party and pull chocolate coins from everyone's ears!"

"Don't bother Mr. Steele, Laurie Beth. Say thank you and go back with your siblings. Tell Danny I'll speak with him later," Said Frances from the other side of the table.

"Well, perhaps we can arrange something, it's not a big deal," said Mr. Steele, knowing he'd had an ace under his sleeve.

"Are you sure?" asked Frances totally excited. "It would be exciting!"

"When is going to be the big day?" asked Laura, bringing the glass to her mouth to hide some of her anxiety. Was that a good idea?

"What a beautiful ring, Laura! Let me take a closer look…" said Abigail, interrupting her siblings' conversation and grabbing Laura's hand for a more detailed examination.

Laura's blood pressure was already rising up. The next question would be the opening for their announcement.

Right then Mr. Steele decided to take the lead, "It's a sapphire surrounded by two diamonds."

Suspecting there was more than a simple description behind Laura's ring; Abigail raised her eyes towards Mr. Steele urging him to continue with the explanation.

"I think it's the right moment… We have an announcement to make…" he said, smiling at Laura and taking her hand in his on the table.

The whole table was in silence.

"We got married…"

The three words were the opening, and just once they were already out of his mouth, Frances and Abigail's faces turned to each other beaming, their expressions almost carbon copy. They were both with her hands on her face, teary eyes, and a joyful laugh escaping from their mouths.

"Congratulations!" said Donald raising his glass.

"When did it happen?" asked Frances not able to hide an inch of euphoria.

"…Maybe a month ago…" answered Laura, in a very calm voice, looking back at their hands and taking her eyes away from both women. She was aware of what was coming…

"…A month ago…" repeated Abigail, using the same calm tone as Laura."And, will you be kind enough to explain to your mother… why do we find out about such life-changing a month later? We're not such a big family, you know…"

"I can't believe you didn't tell your family, Laura. I'm your only sister…"

"And I'm your only mother… But, we can't expect it different from you, dear. You always have to do things on your own way. Now that you vaguely shared with your family when it happened, would you be kind enough to share where? Or we are not allowed to know…"

Laura felt the courage growing inside her. She was with her family, and they were supposed to know and to feel happy for them. She took a deep breath, squeezed Mr. Steele's hand and started, "Okay. I'll tell you everything from the beginning."

The full table was staring at her. "We had been together for a long time. You already know the story. About a month ago, we received a warning from the INS. We had a tight time to find a solution to Mr. Steele personal status in the US, or he would be deported from the country. There was only one logical thing to do. We got married. We did it in Las Vegas, in a simple yet lovely ceremony, and once it was over, we returned back home. It was just a needed formality. That's all."

Everybody at the table remained in silence until Frances got up from her chair almost in tears and embraced her younger sister in a big hug. Donald followed her wife and did the same with Mr. Steele. When Frances let go Laura free, Abigail was standing in front of her eldest daughter, with tearing eyes. "I'm so happy for you, dear." They melted in an emotive hug. "I knew you were not able to do it traditionally… Such a stubborn girl you are… But I love you anyway."

"I love you too mother."

Once Abigail let her daughter free from her embrace, Mr. Steele took possession of her wife putting his arm on her shoulder. He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead adoringly. His brave Laura; she'd finally did it. He was so happy.

The congratulations to the newlyweds followed for some minutes, and then Donald decided to open a bottle of champagne in celebration to welcome his brother in law into the family.

And was right then, and without even suspecting it, that Laura suddenly noticed the pieces were falling into place; she was entirely happy, starting a new phase besides the love of her life, and her family was enthusiastically supporting her; their happiness drew all over their faces, … And it was at that very moment when Laura couldn't help but realize that was what he had been waiting for all his life: a family. And he already belonged to one. Hers.

The way back in the car was pleasantly quiet. A lot was sinking into Laura's mind. Although she had been worried about the development of the night, everything had run unexpectedly smooth. And it wasn't a happy accident. Although she always had thought that Frances willingness about seeing her married had something to do with having her younger sister following her older sister's steps, and doing the usually expected things; after the evening's developing she'd figured out that there was a different side to appreciate. Frances had found her other half some years ago. Donald was the man with whom she was ready to jump into the future; the man that had made her days worth to be lived, and who had given her the courage to follow her dreams. Her sister's happiness wasn't just because Laura had welcomed her life into something usually expected. Frances was happy because she realized her little sister had found happiness at least. It had taken Laura more time than the anticipated for her to make some pieces fit, but finally, she had made it. And her older sister was truly happy for her.

"You have been extremely quiet through the way back. Are you okay?" Mr. Steele asked Laura when they got inside their apartment.

"I'm okay," answered Laura, "I was just absorbing the novelty of the night."

"The novelty of the night… I hope you find it appealing… Was it above your expectations?"

She looked at him, "You know, for the first time I had the realization that all the while, what they were expecting from me was to see me happy. And it feels good."

"I guess your expectations for the night were surpassed then…"

She made a step closer to him, "Well…, what would you say if I told you some of them are still unsatisfied… The night is still young, you know…" she stood inches from him, and put her arms around his neck.

"We can try to find a solution to that. Are you sure you're up to the challenge?"

After pulling him into a suggestive kiss, she finally answered him, "I think I'm ready to give it a chance…"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The following day began early at the agency. They weren't expected at the theatre until noon, and Mr. and Mrs. Steele had decided to make a detour through Century City. Mildred was supposed to be there holding the fort, as always. But the image they perceived once they put their feet inside the office was slightly different. Mildred was already at her desk, but instead of being ready to jump into action; her head was on her hands, her arms resting on the desktop, eyes barely opened.

"Mildred, are you all right?" asked Laura worriedly.

The secretary jumped from her seat, and rearranged herself, "Mrs. Steele… Good morning. Sorry, I was just…"

"Dozing…" answered Mr. Steele from Laura's back, not hiding a wicked smile.

"No, no, no…I just closed my eyes for a second to clear my mind. No big deal."

"Mildred, are you sure you are okay? You can go home if you are not feeling well," suggested Laura.

"I'm okay, just tired. I think I missed some sleep last night. That's all."

"Enthralled into high-quality literature until late night?"

"Not reading this time, chief. I had a date…" answered Mildred raising her eyebrows to Laura.

Mr. Steele raised his face and decided he wasn't ready to have Mildred's love life exposed in front of him yet, "I see. I think I'll leave you alone. Gal to gal time… Please bring me my tea in the break time, Mildred. I'll be in my office. Somebody has to work here…"

Laura gave him a look, "Are you going to surprise us? Where did I leave my partner?" she asked Mildred half joking.

"Enjoy your chat, ladies. I'll fill you into important matters later…"

"Grab some coffee and come to my office, Mildred."

"I'm on the way, honey…"

Once at Laura's office, Mildred started her retelling in front of a focused Laura. The previous day, Mildred had finished her day enjoying a tour through the theatre beside John. One thing had led to another, and without realizing it they were having dinner together; and after that, they'd gone to a bar and had some drinks. They'd found themselves very interested in each other, and time had flown. They had called it a night at some unreasonable hour for a workday. Mildred finished her words gleaming. Not that Laura was implying anything, but surely, the secretary late night's activity was the explanation about her tiredness.

Once Mr. Steele noticed some silence coming from Laura's office, he opened the connecting door. "Did you finish pumping her for information, Laura?"

"I didn't pump her! We were enjoying a gal to gal conversation…"

"Can you swear you didn't use your detective skills to make her say what she was trying to hide?"

"You know she wasn't in need to hide anything. She was eager to get the story out of her mouth, and with detail."

"I don't know how women are able to follow such detailed retellings… Anyway, I need your help to rehearse a trick."

Just at that very moment, Mildred came into Laura's office, some files in her hands. "Oh, Mr. Steele! I would love to be your audience!"

"Come in Mildred, sit down there. Laura, come to stand beside me."

Once they were in their respective places, he started with his act.

"Beautiful lady, can I borrow your ring?"

Laura put her ring off, and gave it to him, smiling widely to the audience.

"I am going to put the ring inside the box." He did that and then closed it. He made some movements and proceeded to open the box. "And now… the ring is gone…"

Laura and Mildred eagerly clapped.

"I presume the lady wants her ring back…" he said, looking sideways to some supposed audience. He turned the box upside down, an after a few moments, asked Mildred to open it.

Mildred did as she was told, "There is nothing in there, chief…"

"It's not possible, Mildred… Let's try it again." He did the same mimics, Laura following his movements with detail.

"Open the box, Mildred…"

"Uh, Uh… Nothing there yet, boss…"

Laura's smile fell from her face…

"You are going to bring my ring back, are you?" her voice noticeably edged.

"Of course… It's a piece of cake…"

After several tries, the ring remained still missing. It was there when Mildred decided to jump into action. "Hold on for a minute, chief… Be right back…" she told them.

A moment later she returned to the office, massive hammer in hand. "I call this my magic wand… Keep your fingers off, chief."

"Mildred Wait!" Those were Mr. Steele's last words.

Laura's eyes were hidden behind her hands. Mildred did an accurate shot against the magic box, and voila…the ring was back, between a million of shattered wooden pieces.

"I didn't know you kept this kind of weapon at the office Mildred," told her Mr. Steele still looking to his beloved desk, now under a wooden mess.

"I've always thought it would come handy at the most unexpected moment…"

Once the magic incident was over, and the ring was back on Laura's finger, their day followed on. They drove the Rabbit to the theatre. It was their supposed first day at work. They parked the car in the back parking lot and went to their dressing rooms. A dressing rehearsal was scheduled for 3pm, and after that, they could start working on s their number on stage for the first time. The show was divided into several parts. There were dance numbers, comedy numbers, and a magician number, in the closure. That was their turn.

Their wardrobe was ready, and they did their rehearsal on stage, finding the correct angles to stand, and putting the whole number together adding a dose of charming humor. Laura's ring didn't leave her finger this time. After three long work hours, the rehearsal was over. Some men from behind stage helped them to pick up their stuff, and they returned to their dressing rooms. Once they'd opened their own doors, they found a note posted on each mirror. Laura took hers and ran towards Mr. Steele`s room. He glanced at her from his note when she opened the door.

"You found another one…" she said."What does it say?"

"…If you follow the color path, you'll open the magic door without realizing the trick…"

"It says the same here. Do you have an idea about what could they mean?" she asked.

"Not yet… They know we are here. They want us to follow their game. Let's play along with them."

They walked through the dressing rooms hall, and backstage. Nothing called their attention until their eyes met with a male silhouette's back, surreptitiously leaving the place…"We didn't meet this man yesterday, Mr. Steele. Let's make the introduction…"

They ran after the man, but he disappeared behind a mirror door. They tried to find the way to open it, but couldn't. "He's gone," said Laura after a while.

"Let's find John. He can help us to open it."

They found John a while later, and once they showed him the mirror, the magician opened it with a slight push on the right spot. It wasn't an ordinary door, opening into space. It was a box, part of a fake mirror wall. The man they were chasing had hidden there, and once he knew they had left, had slipped away.

"I think he cheated on you. He opened the door once you were gone far enough. The box has an inside handle," told them, John.

"We need to be faster next time. However, we made a step ahead. We are following a man; and by the way, he was moving, not a very young one," said Mr. Steele.

"Thank you for your help, John. We'll call you if we have some news," said Laura.

They returned home a few hours later, without clues about the mysterious man. Nobody had seen him although he'd disappeared after walking in front of everyone in the middle of the rehearsal backstage.

"Do you think is one of them?" asked Laura.

"It's a possibility. But we can't be sure. We should look for a motive."

"I'll get Mildred digging into the crew member's economic situation first in the morning. Why don't you call John and ask for their names?"

He did as he was told, and without time, work was out of their schedule, and they were traveling eagerly through different scenarios.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The doorbell was ringing without stop. Mr. Steele rolled away from Laura and noticed it was 11.30pm. Who could it be?

"Laura," he shook her slightly and turned on the bed light, "Somebody is ringing the door bell…I'll get it."

"What…What time is it?" she asked noticeably asleep, her eyes barely opened.

He put on his robe and went to the living room.

Just when she was trying to focus on the nightstand clock, she heard Mildred's voice. She ran off the bed looking for her robe.

"Mildred?" asked Laura walking into the living room.

"Mrs. Steele! Sorry to bother you… I didn't know what to do!"

"What happened, Mildred?"

"I was telling Mr. Steele… We were having dinner with John…"

"Again?" asked Laura surprised. Two nights in a row… Wow…

"I was trying to get involved in the case, Mrs. Steele. With you two working out of the office the whole time, it's getting hard to have a clue about what's going on there…"

"I figure it…" said Mr. Steele.

Laura glanced at him, "Go on Mildred…"

"We were having dinner, and suddenly two men appeared at the restaurant. John apologized, and told me he was going to speak to them outside and that he'll be back in a moment…"

"Let me guess," said Mr. Steele, "he didn't return back…"

"How did you know, chief?"

"Merely guessing, Mildred."

"Did you recognize any of those men from John's crew?"

"I didn't remember any of them, Mrs. Steele. What are we going to do?"

"I suggest you go home, and we'll meet at the office tomorrow morning," said Mr. Steele.

"But chief…"

"See you tomorrow Mildred," he pushed her towards the door, opened it, and closed it once she was out. "Bye, bye…"

"Don't you think you have been rude?" Laura asked him from behind.

"Rude? The woman comes to our home in the middle of the night because her date made an unexpected runaway, and you say I'm rude? I don't want to be standing in the middle of Mildred's flings. You know me better than that, Laura. Come on, let's go to sleep. I'm sure we'll hear from John tomorrow. Give the man the chance of an alibi…"

Laura followed him to their room, "I suppose you could be right because you know your friend from the past. But I don't like to send her home alone just like that."

He took off his robe and got into bed. She followed him.

"Let's forget about Mildred and concentrate in more suitable ways to spend the night…" he said pulling her back towards his chest. Just when they were getting comfortable again, they heard a new knocking round. "That woman can be truly exasperating…" He energetically got up from the bed, not bothering in putting on his robe this time, and went to the door. He opened it, and Mildred got into the apartment again, like a tornado.

"What now, Mildred?" he asked

She turned around, "I forgot my keys," she started her walk through the door again. "Enjoy the rest of the night if you can…" With that, she closed the door behind her.

"I still think you should go with her…" said Laura leaning on their room's door frame.

He looked at her guessing her next words coming.

"Just go!" she urged him

It was then or never. He opened the door, and Mildred was still waiting for the elevator. "It was time…" she said not bothering to look at him."Just put some cloth on, Mr. Steele. I don't want people watching me like an old pervert."

"You are not old, Mildred…" And I'm not that pervert… he thought to himself…) "Come inside please; I'll be ready in a moment."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mr. Steele had left the apartment two hours ago. Mildred's house wasn't in the neighborhood, but it wasn't that far from Rossmore. Laura decided to call her.

"Hello, Mildred? Is Mr. Steele still there with you?"

"Didn't he return back yet? He left more than an hour ago, honey…"

"It's okay Mildred. He'll be arriving in a moment then. Thank you. See you tomorrow."

Something was going wrong. The way to Mildred's wasn't long. Maybe he'd stopped for gas. About an hour later the door opened, and he came into the condo.

"Where have you been? I was worried! It took you so long to make the way back…"

"It was your idea to send me out there, remember'? I brought Mildred home, and when I was on my way back, I got a tire damaged. I went to fix it and after that came back."

"So, no problem beside that… Thank God, I had a bad feeling…"

"No more bad feelings for the night, Laura. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but… My ear was forced into a litany for almost an hour. Let's go to bed. I need to sleep. No trick will go in the right way tomorrow if I don't hit the bed right now."

"I had a different idea, you know… We were already up… But you're right… I need your working marvels tomorrow, Mr. Steele."

"Well, perhaps if you show me what you were thinking, I could get more inspired" he told her while opening her robe…

They arrived at the theatre early in the morning, finding the place almost empty. The one employee they noticed already there was the man at the back entry. They went to his dressing room, where Mr. Steele found another note posted it to the mirror.

I'll be off for a couple of days. I trust in you two following the magic path. See you soon. John.

"This doesn't sound too much like John." Said Mr. Steele

"Do you think something is going wrong?"

"What do you think if we go for a walk backstage?"

"I'm right behind you, Mr. Steele."

They began their detour, and everything seemed like the day before. Until they found a door they had missed.

"Did you notice this door yesterday?" she asked.

"I think the mirror box was covering it. Let's see." They opened it, and discovered a long dark hall with a light shining at the end. They got in and started to walk through it. At some point, the light turned off, and they found themselves in total darkness. They heard a sound in front of them. They returned back to the entry door, but it was locked. The logical step to follow was to walk the opposite way. They made their steps slowly and very cautiously, trying to calculate in their minds the distance they had seen when the light had been on. Mr. Steele was ahead, and Laura was following him closely. Suddenly, his body crashed into something, and Laura stumbled against him.

"Are you okay, Laura?"

"Yes, I'm okay. What is that? It wasn't there a moment ago."

Mr. Steele touched the surface in front of him. "It seems like a wooden wall."

Just at the moment he said the words, they heard another noise behind them. Laura turned back and found a similar surface in front of her. "It's like a cage. We are trapped here," she said. At that moment, they felt the floor moving, and they felt toward one of the walls.

"We are getting moved," she said.

"Just pray to ask for this not ending like when we were hired to protect the phony Royal Lavoulite. I think I could manage just anything slightly different. We almost finished roasted alive then, and that's a sensation that I'm certainly not eager to try again soon," he told her.

They remained in silence for a while. Once the box stopped moving, Mr. Steele decided to look for a secret lock, sliding his hand all along the surface. When he arrived at the one behind Laura, he thought he'd found something. "Stay quiet," he told her.

"I'll try."

But just when she said that, he crushed himself towards her, maneuvering to find a spot to push. Suddenly, the ceiling top was pulled up, allowing some light to get into the cage. They remained still. What followed frightened Laura almost to death. The four walls fell to the ground making an unwarned bang, leaving the two of them sharing an unexpected forced embrace to avoid falling off of the box.

"Welcome my friends. I guess you weren't expecting something like this, but extreme situations require extreme solutions," said a very charming voice.

"I know the owner of that voice, Laura," said Mr. Steele.

Laura looked at him, "Do you?"

"Someone is making a joke on us, Laura."

"What?"

"Come on, don't be a coward. I want to see your face…" he shouted to the mirror in front of them.

Laura remained in silence.

Suddenly, the mirror sliced in three panels, turning all at once, showing three dark cabinets. From one of them walked off John.

"John, thank God you are okay… we were worried!" Laura told him, "Mildred told us you were in danger…" But then, Mildred came out from the other one.

"Mildred?" asked Laura…

Mr. Steele, who was standing beside her, made a step ahead looking to the next black hole and stopped.

"What is it all about?" asked Laura.

A charming voice sounding closer answered her, "This, my dear, is what it's called a magic trick." The last man came from another dark hole.

"Daniel?" asked Laura totally baffled.

"Daniel…" said Mr. Steele, and made the rest of the steps to blend into an embrace with his mentor.

Once they disentangled, Daniel Looked to Laura, "Mrs. Steele…"

"You know…" said Laura.

"You can't keep such relevant information hidden for a long time. I have the best sources to follow my protégée and his partner's secret steps. John was working in Vegas when you made your marrying stop last month. He found the news from a close friend, an indiscreet priest..."

Laura's face reddened. They had got married and found themselves immersed in a case almost immediately. They'd never thought about telling Daniel afterward…

"I would have loved to be there for you, Harry. But again, destiny played against my most desired wishes. I was in the South of France at the time, and couldn't be back until last week. Once I was back in LA, I met with John and we decided we were going to hire you to solve a case. We had a rough time thinking about the mystery we'd ask you to solve, but then we knew Magic Tricks were going to be a good option. John remembered you were a good illusionist when you were young…"

"You didn't have to do that, Daniel," said Mr. Steele.

"It is my wedding gift to you, my boy. Your Magical Mystery."

Mr. Steele made one step ahead and hugged Daniel. "Thank you, Daniel. For everything."

"You have to thank Mildred and me too," said John. "Last night, we were going to send you away from home like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Realizing how fond of the detecting activity you two are, we had a whole case for you to solve. Movie quotes included. But then, after you took care of getting Mildred home safe, she told us you were in sort of a hurry to get back home to the wife, so we figured you were going to miss her painfully…. So, we did allow you to get back home. Mildred asked for mercy on your behalf."

"The tire…"

"Yes, the tire… and the ring!" added John.

"The ring?" Asked Mr. Steele.

"Mildred told us about the trick fiasco at the office. We couldn't help but reconsider having you in front of an audience, hammer in hand…" said John.

Everybody chuckled then. They began to relax.

But then, Laura began to realize something, "Mildred! How did you get involved?" she asked the secretary still puzzled.

"John told me the plan in our first date, Mrs. Steele, and I was in without a doubt. Did I play my part convincingly?" she asked posing like an actress.

"You totally conned us, Mildred. We'll talk about it later," said Mr. Steele.

Daniel laid his eyes again on Laura, "May I give my congratulations to you too, Mrs. Steele?" He made a step ahead, and Laura finally allowed herself to throw her defensive walls down. They shared a loving embrace, followed by a smiling Mr. Steele looking adoringly to his most beloved people in the world, every one of them reunited in this room.


	9. Chapter 9

Epilogue:

Finally, after Frances had led the little bunch adding slight sergeant touches, the place was in silence. The children were sitting Indian style on the floor, and everything was ready at the makeshift stage. The table was covered by a dark blue velvet tablecloth bordered with a yellow ribbon.

The three Holt women were standing at the back of the expectant little crowd, waiting for the show to start. The three of them were smiling, but Laura was feeling butterflies in her stomach. What if anything didn't go as expected…What if the kids didn't have fun with the show…What if the magic number ruin Laurie Beth's birthday party…What if… Suddenly she felt relaxed. None of those things will happen. He was the best one to keep everything running smoothly. He was great with his hands, and he was one of the best illusionists she had ever met. Well, maybe not just one of the best, there was no doubt he was the best one. And among all those things, he was great with children. There was no doubt the show was going to be a success. She felt a hand on her waist and turned back to the right. No one was there. Just when her face turned to the other side to discover the hand owner, Mr. Steele gave her a soft peck on her lips.

"Wish me luck!" he told her on his way to the stage.

She showed him her crossed fingers, looking enthusiastically at him. Right before getting into the homemade scenario, he turned back to her winking an eye and put one of her fedoras on.

"Oh my God! He's wearing one of your fedoras, Laura! He is so romantic!" said Frances.

Laura's smile grew wider on her face.

"I hope he's not hiding the rabbit in there…" Added Abigail, "Who knows what that kind of animals would do to the inner liner."

"He is allowed to hide whatever he wants in the hat, mother. He is the master of the show," answered Frances.

"Be sure he is," added Laura at last.

Donald started the opening music, and Mindy dimmed the lights, guiding everyone's eyes to focus on the stage. Mr. Steele introduced himself, and just when he was ready to pick up some of the stuff from the table to start his routine, one of the kids opened his mouth.

"I know you. You are Laurie Beth's uncle. You are not a real magician…"

The rest of the kids focused their eyes towards Mr. Steele, waiting for his answer.

"Well, I think you are right. You discovered my first hidden secret…" answered Mr. Steele. "I think you'd be a good assistant… Do you mind to come here and help me with my tricks?"

"Sure!" answered the boy, a broad smile drawn all over his face. In just one step all the suspicions were forgotten, and the little one was standing beside Mr. Steele.

"Did you know you were going to help me with this show, young man?"

"No, I didn't," answered the boy sincerely.

"Well, you can explain to the audience then why do you have this hidden behind your ear," a dollar coin came from the kid's ear into Mr. Steele's hand; "Or this hidden in your back pocket." Another coin came from there. The boy was amazed, like the rest of the audience. Do you think that would be enough payment for your services?"

The smile grew even wider than before if that was possible. "I think so, Sir."

"Well, let's start with the show then…"

The spectacle was a success, and the kids didn't move an inch from their places until the last trick of the show was over. Laurie Beth had her chance to help the magician as well when a white bunny came up from Laura's fedora directly into her hands. In an instant, the girl was beside Frances begging her to adopt the pet. Frances gave a fierce look to Laura, who mouthed her in response, "He is the master of the show allowed to hide whatever he wants… Tell him." She knew Frances would never say a regretting word to Mr. Steele.

Once the party was over, the rabbit affair with a promising solution ahead as a future school class pet; the magician and his wife were allowed to return home. They crumbled on the couch taking off their shoes, both exhaling a huge sigh at the same time.

"You did a good job today. I loved it until the last trick," Laura told him.

"Who told you that the last trick was done on the show?" he answered.

"Now I guess it wasn't… Care to enlighten me?" she asked following his cue.

He took a deck of cards out of his pocket, shuffled them and asked her to chose one, see it and return it to the maze. She picked one, and after a brief moment, she did as she was told. Once the card was back in the deck, he reshuffled it, and without giving her a chance to see the cards again, he put the maze up in front of her, the back of the cards to Laura. Absolutely motionless, and faking and concentrated, he made a single card go up slowly from the deck.

"Is that the card you chose?" he asked her.

She took it in her hands smiling, and without taking her eyes off of his, turned it back. "Yes, this is the card, two hearts. How did you do that?"

"A good magician never reveals his secrets… But I suspected two hearts could be your choice. Sometimes you're sort of predictable romantic, Laura."

"Can I pick up another one?" She didn't wait for an answer, rearranged her in her seat and picked up another two of hearts. "I saw the cards. The deck was a regular one. You've changed it! When did you do that? Why do I have the suspicion you have a full two of hearts deck in your hand now… You're getting predictable too…"

"Who says that the full deck is in my hand? Try in your purse."

"There can't be anything there. I've just opened it to look for the key to open…" She opened her purse again, and there it was…

"Try in your shirt pocket…" Another card remained there.

"When did you do that?" she asked bewildered entirely.

"Try under your hair, back in your neck…"

With some doubt on her face now, she did as she was told, but couldn't find another two hearts card. "I think your magic doesn't work in my hair…"

"Let me check…" he put his hand on her neck, and slowly pulled her face dangerously close towards his. Right at the moment, their lips were going to touch he stopped. "How did you hide this with you the whole day without giving up to temptation?" he asked her, taking a chocolate coin from under her neckline.

Her smile turned to a sensual one, "I have a lot of practice while resisting dangerous temptation through the whole day." She answered, "But right now, I'm about to give up on both of them…"

"Both of them?" he asked.

"Both of them…chocolate and you. What would you think about a chocolate kiss?" Asked Laura.

"After a long tricky day, I am looking forward to dessert, Mrs. Steele. Chocolate eyes, chocolate kisses… they are temptations impossible to resist."

"Don't resist it on my account then, Mr. Steele. Just shut up and kiss me…"


End file.
